Kow Essuman, the legal counsel to Nana Akufo-Addo has denied claims that the president misled the country by saying that Ghana has been ranked top among countries that managed the COVID-19 pandemic well by the World Health Organization (WHO).
President Akufo-Addo in a speech during the opening of the 73rd Annual Year School at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana on 25 January 2022, is alleged to have touted the country’s achievement in managing the pandemic well.
“We pioneered life-saving innovations that WHO has since replicated elsewhere; with Ghana and Korea touted as the two best nations in dealing with the pandemic,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Fact Check Ghana, a fact-checking project of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in an article titled: “FACT-CHECK: Is Ghana ranked among the countries that best managed COVID-19 in the world?” said: “The claim by the president, which comes with the mention of the WHO, could mislead a casual listener into thinking that the ranking was done by the WHO.”
Essuman took to Twitter to clear the air, adding Akufo-Addo made no reference to a ranking by the WHO though accepting that indeed the President mentioned that Ghana has been touted as one of the best nations in dealing with the pandemic.
According to him what President Akufo-Addo said and what Fact Check Ghana has in its article cannot be the same.
He further revealed that the President relied on an article by a Professor at the Bournemouth University which praised Ghana for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Akufo-Addo took responsibility for coronavirus policy and explained carefully each measure required, being honest about the challenges the nation faced. Simple demonstrations of empathy earned him acclaim within his nation and also around the world”, Prof. Darren Lilleker of the Bournemouth University said.
The President’s Legal Counsel urged the media entity to always adhere to best practices.
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